Being a Civil Services IAS Officer is a beacon of hard work. It doesn’t matter if you are a farmer’s son or a daughter of a businessman, every candidate starts at a fair playing field when it comes to the UPSC Civil Services Exam. And to clear CSE, one must have the passion and dedication about the service.
What sets the exam apart is not the difficulty level but the dedication it requires and the faces of true Indian spirit it showcases – the courage to fight all odds and find success.
For this article, we have rounded up success stories of farmers’ sons and daughters who passed the Civil Services Exam to inspire and give you the motivation to continue pursuing your goals of being a Civil Servant.
UPSC Civil Services Exam Success Stories
Ennis Kanmani – Farmer’s daughter
Ennis Kanmani has become the joy and grace of Kerala. She has fought poverty and cracked the UPSC Civil Services IAS Exam. She secured the overall 65th rank in her second attempt with hard work and dedication.
Ennis Kanmani’s journey is a story of hard work, dedication, and persistence to achieve one’s dreams despite the various hardships.
She came from a tiny village in Kerala. Her father was a farmer, and her mother also worked as a farm labourer with her father. Ennis was a bright student from her childhood and was always praised for her intelligence, which leads her to become a Doctor. She completed her SSLC Exam and her Class 12 from Ernakulam District.
After her 12th, she also appeared for the MBBS exam but could not crack the exam. Later, she completed her graduation in B. SC. Nursing and became a nurse. Working as a nurse did not make her happy, so she decided to do something different to help her country and others.
Soon she came to know about UPSC CSE and became very interested. After gathering all the information, she started her preparations, and shortly after reading and getting more details about the exam, Ennis shifted her focus entirely on the exam. The biggest challenge she faced while preparing for the exam was a lack of resources, such as books and competitive magazines. Without this, the preparation for the exam proved to be far-fetched for her, but she decided that she would do her preparation only through the daily or weekly newspapers.
She started reading newspapers daily and spent enough time on the editor’s page and the current affairs. Her determination will power, and dedication – gave back her the result she deserved and had worked hard for – in her first attempt. She secured – 580th rank in her first attempt, but she was not satisfied with it. She again appeared for the second attempt and this time she cracked the exam and secured 65th rank overall.

Hrudaya Kumar – Farmer’s Son
Hrudaya Kumar, a son of a farmer from Angulai, a remote village in Kendrapara district of Odisha. He has secured 1079th rank in the coveted UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2014.
Despite having an underprivileged and very humble background, he achieved his dream goal. His family lived in a house they got from Indira Awas Yojana, a social welfare flagship program of the Indian government.
Hrudaya has completed all his primary and secondary education from the government’s primary and high school. He has passed class 12th with the second division marks.
He was also good at cricket and had the ambition to pursue a career. He represented his home district in the team of Kalahandi Cup inter-district cricket tournament.
But destiny was already written for him, and the uncertainties associated with pursuing a sports career forced him to choose academics. After completion of secondary education, he enrolled in a five-year integrated MCA course at Utkal University.
He optimally utilized the environment he got for studies and tried his luck in the Civil Services Exam. Although he failed to secure his name in the merit in his first two attempts, he was finally able to crack the exam on his 3rd attempt, securing the 1079th overall rank.
Dr. Rajendra Bharud – Farm Labourer’s Son
Dr. Rajendra Bharud was born in an Adiwasi tribe in Khandesh belt of Maharashtra. raised by his widowed mother, Kamal. His father died of malaria even before he was born. His mother worked as a labourer on farms to fund his studies. Battling all odds, Dr. Rajendra Bharud completed his schooling in a small village of Samode in Dhule, Maharashtra.
Later, he got an admission in a well-known G.S. Medical college in Mumbai. A tribal boy, who had come to the doctor’s education in ‘KEM’ from Samode, had become a doctor with good qualities. He proved himself by getting the ‘Best Student Award’ in ‘K.E..’
In his first attempt, he was selected for the Indian Revenue Service. But as the goal of becoming ‘IAS’ was specific, he again tried the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination and finally became an IAS officer.
When people started pouring in at his home to congratulate him, his mother realizes that he has achieved something big. His mother always wanted him to become a doctor or a Government officer. Now, he is both.
His past is full of memories, and the present is engaged in the melodious song of his nature. He is currently working as CEO for Zila Parishad, Solapur, Maharashtra.
Summary
In this article, we discussed some success stories of great achievers who came from very humble backgrounds. Whatever the circumstances given to them, they managed to achieve great success due to their dedication and passion for the UPSC Civil Services Exam.
Areas covered in this article
- IAS aspirants success stories